No Mao? Stalwart of Beijing's Live Music Scene Has "99 Percent" Chance of Closing this Month
Rock and Roll just don’t pay the rent these days in Beijing.
Mao Livehouse, one of the city’s most established live music venues, has announced that there is a "99 percent chance" their final gig will take place this month.
The probable closure apparently has nothing to do with the recent PLA-induced shutterings of The Den and Tim’s Texas Barbecue and everything to do with the rising cost of rent in Beijing.
Mao Livehouse founder Li Chi posted to his Weibo account on Tuesday, saying the venue had exhausted all avenues of negotiation with their landlord on extending their lease after four months of trying.
Li's wording, however, left a little wiggle room for interpretation, indicating there could be a last-minute reprieve. "Although a final effort is still underway, negotiations have basically broken down and there's no turning back," Li wrote. "It seems that we can only now try to find another place for our bands and our audience."
Meanwhile, Li's assistant Jide is spearheading a tag campaign on Weibo (#假如从鼓楼走不到MAO# "Imagine if You Could No Longer Go From Gulou to Mao) that already has become the #1 hottest music topic with over 1.9 million views, in the hopes that the outpouring of support may sway the landlord into futher negotiation.
If Mao indeed does close, the music community in Beijing will be in mourning.
"It [would be] a shame, Mao is one of the best venues in Beijing – and China,” said Yang Haisong of the band PK14. “They have a great sound system and space, and most importantly, they have very good organization.”
The Gulou-area venue has been making ears bleed for nine years. Virtually every original band worth its salt in China has played there, and it’s been consistently ranked as one of the best live music venues in Beijing since first appearing in our Reader Bar & Club Awards in 2007.
Li has given an indication that if forced to leave its current haunts, Mao will rise again. In an update posted to his Weibo account Wednesday afternoon, he stated that more than 10 Beijing locations have already offered him space and even offered free rent for the transition period. He has vowed to visit them all in an effort to find a new home.
Mao's calendar of events on Douban has gigs listed through December 25. The venue will be open until December 31, with the hopes of being able to continue into January, though the writing seems to be on the wall.
Images: Mao Livehouse, Pogo
